The Hunt setting

Its inhabitants are afflicted with an abnormal blood-borne disease that warps their minds and bodies until they are terrifying monsters – it falls to Hunters like you to stop them.

Can you slay the beasts, stop the plague, and escape this endless nightmare?

THE CITY

The once bustling city of Brighthelmstone is a shadow of its former self.

Despite the Healing Church’s best efforts, the blood plague has continued to spread, making the calling of yet another Hunt necessary.

Some areas of the city are safer than others, but when night comes no one sound of mind dares venture into the streets.

THE HUNT

This is not the first Hunt Brighthelmstone has seen, nor will it be the last.

Something must be done to keep the increasing number of beasts under control and preemptively put down those already doomed by the blood plague.

On the night of The Hunt, the good citizens of Brighthelmstone barricade themselves inside their homes and burn incense in order to keep the beasts from their doors.

THE PLAGUE

Despite its rapidly increasing prevalence, not much is known about the blood plague.

The exact manner in which it infects its victims is unclear, but most assume infected blood gaining ingress to the body to be the primary cause.

Once infected, deterioration is fast. The mind slips away first, then the body becomes twisted and monstrous, with fangs, claws and even fur observed in some sufferers.

However, whatever their particular strain’s peculiarities, all must be struck down in order to keep the citizens of Brighthelmstone safe.

HUNTERS

In order to become a Hunter, an individual must undergo a transfusion of specially treated blood.

While this is traditionally performed by a sanctioned Blood Minister, it is not unheard of for Hunters to acquire this powerful infusion via other means.

But why are you here?

Hunters choose to participate in The Hunt for a variety of reasons: glory, revenge, the sheer thrill of it.

The latter are without a doubt the most dangerous of them all.

THE HEALING CHURCH

Counting both priests and doctors among its ranks, the Healing Church is part religion, part medical organisation, and is responsible for pioneering the science of blood ministration and its resulting medical advances

The city of Brighthelmstone was sick, and the Healing Church had many cures.

Since their arrival, the Healing Church have helped many. Nonetheless, while the science of bood ministration is widely embraced, some still remain sceptical of the Church’s methods.

In the past, the Healing Church was responsible for the recruitment of the vast majority of Hunters. However, not all Hunters shared the Church’s beliefs, resulting in an increasing number choosing to leave – or completely bypass – the Church to follow their own bloody path.

THE BLOOD

Since the introduction of blood ministration by the Healing Church, few haven’t had it touch their lives in some way.

As well as its life-saving medical uses, those who can afford it sometimes opt to use blood for more frivolous applications: injecting ministered blood can be extremely rejuvenating, while there are even brewed concoctions that are safe – and palatable – to drink.

Of course, not just any blood is used. Most is drawn from the ranks of the brothers and sisters of the Healing Church, with the worthiest among them honoured as Blood Saints.

Following their initial transfusion, most Hunters are regulars users of blood vials – small vials of specially treated blood that be administered swiftly in the heat of battle via an attached hypodermic needle.

The medicinal kind aside, Hunters spend much of their time around – and often covered in – large quantities of blood. For most this is repulsive, and the primary cause of Hunters’ distinctive smell. However, others find this strangely intoxicating (and those blood-drunk Hunters are best given a wide berth).